1. Harvard ManageMentor ® Recognizing When to Take Action

2. 2 Harvard ManageMentor: Recognizing When to Take Action Discussion Topics  Recognizing and avoiding barriers to resolving conflicts  Determining when it’s best to manage a difficult interaction  Letting go of a difficult interaction © Copyright 2010 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School.

3. 3 Harvard ManageMentor: Recognizing When to Take Action Avoiding Barriers  What are some barriers that might prevent us from dealing with a conflict between colleagues?  What are ways to remove the barrier? © Copyright 2010 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School.

4. 4 Harvard ManageMentor: Recognizing When to Take Action Determining When to Take Action  How much energy, time, or patience did you expend to address a difficult interaction in the past?  Consider a recent and difficult interaction of yours and work with a partner to reflect on the questions in the worksheet. Discuss with your partner: 1.What surprised you as a result of filling out the worksheet? 2.What are your conclusions? © Copyright 2010 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School.

5. 5 Harvard ManageMentor: Recognizing When to Take Action Letting Go of a Situation  In some situations, letting go might not be easy. Why not?  What are ways of thinking about the situation that may help you let go of it? What has, or has not, worked well for you? © Copyright 2010 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School.

6. 6 Harvard ManageMentor: Recognizing When to Take Action Next Steps  For those difficult situations that you have concluded are worth tackling, consider accessing the steps and tools for resolving the interaction found in the Harvard ManageMentor topic Difficult Interactions.  The Steps for Managing Difficult Interactions and the Worksheet for Creating a Plan for Change can be found in the Tools section of the topic. © Copyright 2010 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School.